I'd rather put money in municipal bonds and sit on a couch 

.- contractor (and subs) can absolutely file without seeing a judge- if they do file, you can force them to sue within 60 days or they lose the lien- you can post a bond if you want to contest the lien but have a sale in process that you don't want to delay- if you pay them in full, and you're worried about them because they demand even more money, you can record an afidavit with some specific information in it and if it records before they attempt to record the lien, they are prevented from doing so.I'm not a lawyer, so check with one before you rely on this information. 

Credit unions in principle exist to serve a community of people tied by a “bond of association,” which may be based on location, employer, faith, membership in another organization, or other factors." 

I’m all team apperception, its the easiest path to wealth especially because one day when I’m old I want to sell off the properties stick my money into an index fund/bond whatever and be done, that said the appreciation we saw with rates below 4% for nearly 15 years isn’t likely to continue at the same pace and it’s not totally clear to me what markets will see big price appreciation next decade (I’d bet against the pricey costal markets that we’ve seen the last decade.)

If you give them the two you termination make sure your terminate fee has some teeth. 

Check if your contractor or state requires a contractor to be bonded, in CA, shady contractors are bonded up to 15k, if the contractors don't perform, owners can go after bonding.

The problem i see with this is how i avoid the two parties coming to their own agreement cutting me out because i've already done my bit.as a possible solution to this i thought if i acted as a property manager and collecting the rent and passed it to the land owner i can charge my finders fee (to the tenant in place of a bond) and take a small cut of the rent. but as you say i don't want to get into the space where i need licencing or something, will definitely get in touch with a lawyer before actioning anything.

My initial thought is that if their is any drilling or modifying or the unit such as running wire, etc. then a licensed and bonded contractor should do the work at the expense of the tenant.

I can trade stocks and bonds freely, the only difference with an investment property is the emotional attachment by SOME seller. in all honesty, I've seen more issues caused by an overzealous realtor than by any Wholesaler, EVER. let's be real, I think these arguments are about some personal issues, if you're jealous of someone making cash then I'll be more than happy to show you the ropes and give you a job. pay is 100% commission:-)

They are pretty responsible pet owners, but it doesn't negate the risk that the puppy is going to sharpen her teeth all over my house.